Sexism and inequalities in sport

Women and Equalities Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 2 May 2023 Closed: 28 May 2024 Parliament page
Following earlier sessions on football, timed to coincide with the 2022 men’s World Cup, the Women and Equalities Committee is examining sexism and inequality in sport more widely. A key focus will be on how girls’ and women’s health and physiology – body image, injuries and sports-related illnesses, periods, pregnancy … Read more
12 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
17 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 25 events
17 May
2024
Report published
24 Apr
2024
Correspondence
21 Mar
2024
Correspondence
5 Mar
2024
Report published
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
10 Jan
2024
Correspondence
13 Dec
2023
Correspondence
6 Dec
2023
Correspondence
29 Nov
2023
Correspondence
29 Nov
2023
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
22 Nov 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Dame Katherine Grainger DBE · UK Sport Dr Craig Ranson · UK Sports Institute Emily Handyside · UK Coaching Jeanette Bain-Burnett · Sport England
6 Sep 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Jo Ward · Lawn Tennis Association Kelly Gordon · England Netball Nick Pink · England Hockey
14 Jun 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Baz Moffat · The Well HQ Dr Louise Newson · The Menopause Charity Eboni Usoro-Brown Janet Birkmyre Kate Seary · Kyniska Advocacy Lisa West · Women in Sport Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne Shaunagh Brown
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Health barriers for girls and women in sport HC 130 5 Mar 2024 19 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
4 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Review school PE kit guidance to ensure widest choice for girls, including sports bras.
The evidence on girls’ anxieties around PE kit is overwhelming. We recommend the Department for Education and National Physical Activity Taskforce review guidance for schools on school PE kit, with the aim of ensuring all schools permit the widest possible … Read more
Government Response
The government accepted the recommendation but provided a vague commitment, describing the general activities of the National Physical Activity Taskforce and the Board of Women's Sport, without outlining specific actions or timelines for reviewing PE kit guidance for schools to ensure wider choice for girls or advice on sports bras.
Government Equalities Office
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10 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Slow response to women's ACL injuries indicates systemic gender inequality in sports research.
There has been a slow and disparate response to disproportionately high rates of ACL injury in women’s football. We have no doubt that a health issue of similar magnitude affecting elite male footballers would have received a faster, more thorough, … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the conclusion, stating it intends to work with the sector on integrity challenges, has run a call for evidence on how issues are dealt with, and will set out the results and next steps 'in due course'.
Government Equalities Office
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Gender inequality causes limited progress and availability of female-specific sports kit and equipment.
It is symptomatic of gender inequality and sexism in the sports sector that the first football boot in the world designed around female feet came to the market less than four years ago. Since then, limited progress has been made … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the implicit recommendation, stating that the National Physical Activity Taskforce and the Board of Women’s Sport will address issues regarding female-specific kit, and that this will form part of future discussions.
Government Equalities Office
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16 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Health barriers for…
Mandate Sport England to oversee Swim England's response to coaching issues and culture.
Public weighing and body-shaming of girls and young women is wholly unacceptable. That this should have occurred in a sports environment, in which girls already face barriers to participation, is deplorable. Swim England must restore trust in swimming’s coaching practices … Read more
Government Response
The government generally agrees with the report's aims and highlights existing commitments and targets for women's and girls' participation in sport. However, it does not specifically address the call for Sport England to oversee Swim England or provide an update within two months.
Government Equalities Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 19 of 12 classified
Accepted 5
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 7
Total 12 recs + 7 conclusions
Correspondence 17 letters
24 Apr 2024 Correspondence with Frasers Group, relating to the categorisation of football boots and the impact this has on women and girls, dated March/April 2024
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21 Mar 2024 Correspondence to Group CEO, Frasers Group PLC regarding barriers faced by women and girls in sport , dated 20 March 2024
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10 Jan 2024 Correspondence from Sport England, relating to Sexism and inequalities in sport, dated 14 December 2023
Parliament page
10 Jan 2024 Correspondence from UK Sports Institute, relating to Sexism and inequalities in sport, dated December 2023
Parliament page
10 Jan 2024 Sport integrity statistics received from UK Sport, December 2023
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10 Jan 2024 Correspondence from Minister for Schools, relating to health and physiology- related barriers for girls and women in sport, dated 19 December 2023
Parliament page
13 Dec 2023 Correspondence from Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, relating to the Independent Review of women's football, dated 4 December 2023
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6 Dec 2023 Correspondence from the Youth Sport Trust relating to the Sexism and inequalities in sport inquiry, dated 29 November
Parliament page
29 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the Chair to the Minister for Women's health Strategy and Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, relating to Health and Physiology-related barriers for girls and women in sport and exercise, dated 22 November 2023
Parliament page
29 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the Chair to the Minister for Schools, relating to Health and physiology-related barriers for girls and women in sport and exercise, dated 22 November 2023
Parliament page
8 Nov 2023 Correspondence from Nike, relating to football boots
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8 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the FA Director of Women's Football, The Football Association, relating to women's football
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8 Nov 2023 Correspondence from Sports Direct, relating to football boots
Parliament page
25 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Chief Executive Officer Swim England, relating to the health and wellbeing of female swimmers
Parliament page
25 Oct 2023 Correspondence to Chief Executive Officer Swim England, relating to the health and wellbeing of female swimmers to
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7 Aug 2023 Responses from Sports Executives on design and manufacture of football boots
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5 Jul 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to Sport Executives on the design and manufacturing of football boots
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